Former Tottenham star Jan Vertonghen reveals he suffered from mental health problems after a concussion against Ajax in 2019… with the impact leaving him feeling ‘down’ and ‘unable to\u00a0go to restaurants’<\/h1>\n

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• Vertonghen suffered a head injury in the Champions League semi-final with Ajax\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
• The defender has opened up about the long-term impacts of the concussion\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n
• Nuno Espirito Santo wasn’t the manager Spurs thought they were getting… he needs to resurrect his Wolves success to win over Forest fans – It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  Jan Vertonghen has revealed he suffered from mental health issues in the aftermath of a head injury sustained while playing for Tottenham in a Champions League match back in 2010.<\/p>\n

  The 36-year-old suffered the concussion following a head collision with his then team-mate Toby Alderweireld, as the duo competed for the ball with Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final.<\/p>\n

  Vertonghen initially played on following medical checks, with Tottenham’s club doctors having been correct in their handling of the incident.<\/p>\n

  He was substituted within minutes after being seen throwing up and stumbling on the pitch.<\/p>\n

  The defender, who now plays for Anderlecht in Belgium, revealed in 2020 that he had played on with\u00a0dizziness and headaches for nine months in order to secure a new contract.<\/p>\n

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  Jan Vertonghen has revealed he suffered from mental health issues following a concussion<\/p>\n

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  Vertonghen sustained the head injury in Tottenham’s Champions League tie with Ajax in 2019<\/p>\n

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  The veteran defender revealed he felt ‘down’ in the months following the concussion<\/p>\n

  Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n

  Vertonghen has now expanded on the last impact of the concussion, which he believes caused him to suffer from mental health problems in the following months.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

  ‘I went to almost all specialists, but no explanation was found,’\u00a0Vertonghen told the Belgium podcast Mid Mid, as per the Telegraph.<\/p>\n

  ‘I couldn’t go to a restaurant. I tried it once and had to leave after 10 minutes. I couldn’t tolerate crowds.<\/p>\n

  ‘I fell asleep anywhere. Normally I never sleep on the road, during that period it happened everywhere.<\/p>\n

  ‘I felt there was more to it and kept talking about it. Now I am convinced that it was a mental-psychological problem.<\/p>\n

  ‘Now when I see photos from that time, I immediately see that something was wrong. That my eyes were different. I was also often ‘down’.’<\/p>\n

  Vertonghen revealed he felt ‘shaky’ in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final eight days after the head injury, where Spurs mounted a famous fightback to beat Ajax.<\/p>\n

  He admitted spending the duration of the final against Liverpool wanting the match to end due to feeling ‘really bad’ during the period.<\/p>\n

  Vertonghen believes his struggles for form the following season at Tottenham may have been caused by the after effects of the concussion.<\/p>\n

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  The former Spurs defender revealed he felt ‘really bad’ during the period’ after the head injury<\/p>\n

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  Vertonghen believes his struggles for form the following season may be due to the concussion<\/p>\n

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  The Belgian, who now plays for Anderlecht, admits he fears the symptoms could return<\/p>\n

  IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n

  It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, with a show every Monday and Thursday this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

  It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n

  Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n

  He left Tottenham at the end of the 2019-20 season to join Portuguese side Benfica and attributed the enforced break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic with helping his recovery.<\/p>\n

  Vertonghen admitted he still has fears the symptoms he suffered could return in the future.<\/p>\n

  The former Spurs star’s comments have raised a worrying insight into the potential impact of concussions, with his case proving influential in the introduction of permanent concussion\u00a0substitutions.<\/p>\n

  There is an ongoing push for\u00a0a trial of temporary concussion substitutes, but the proposal was rejected by the\u00a0International Football Association Board back in March.<\/p>\n

  Tottenham boss Ange\u00a0Postecoglou revealed defender Cristian Romero had been withdrawn in their opening game of the season against Brentford after a concern over a head injury.<\/p>\n

  Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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